Indian Army sends back PoK youth who crossed LoC

Srinagar | A youth from PoK, who had inadvertently crossed the Line of Control and entered into the Indian territory, has been repatriated at a crossing point at Tithwal on the LoC, officials said on Wednesday.

The Indian Army said that on the night of April 5, a youth from PoK inadvertently crossed the LoC into Karnah in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

“The youth, who has been identified as Mausam, the son of Manzoor Ahmad from the Lipa area of Kashmir under the illegal occupation of Pakistan, was sheltered by the Indian troops deployed along the LoC for the night with due care. Pakistani authorities were informed about the whereabouts of the youth,” the army said.

The army further said that based on the interaction between the authorities of both sides on Hotline, the Indian authorities repatriated the youth to their Pakistani counterparts at the Tithwal crossing point as a humanitarian gesture.

“The youth was presented clothes and sweets before his return. On the occasion of repatriation, the representatives of the civil administration of Karnah were present. The exchange took place at 11.50 a.m. on Wednesday,” the army said.

The officials added that such inadvertent crossings have taken place earlier also due to the close proximity of the villages along the LoC on either side. However, the Indian side has always been prompt in returning the individuals keeping the humanitarian issue in mind, the army said.

The Tithwal Crossing Bridge located on Kishanganga river has been acting as a point of peace between the two sides. The site is visited by lots of people from either side of the border and it is emerging as a tourist site, especially after the recently agreed ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

IANS

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